Lawn Care News

Organic landscaping mulches such as cedar bark are used to protect perennial flower beds in winter. Cedar mulch is long-lasting and discourages some bugs.

Weed ID is a helpful first step in control efforts, so I provide pictures along with plant characteristics. In some cases, weed ID may even alter your desire for eradication of a plant.

Preparing for fence installation. Securing building permits, acquainting yourself with zoning ordinances, hiring a surveyor and contacting utilities are all steps you may have to take prior to fence installation.

Picture of pink Million Bells petunia (Calibrachoa). While Millions Bells looks like a petunia, as the photo shows, its really a Calibrachoa.

How to control vole pests the natural way, through preventive integrated pest management (IPM). Prevention saves money through natural pest control.

Picture of purple crocuses. Harbingers of spring, purple crocuses and other bulb plants are welcome visitors to our March and April yards.

The "best" hardscape materials used in driveway installation will depend on your own particular circumstances, but in my FAQ on driveway hardscape materials I cover the major types of driveways and discuss the pros and cons of each.

Definition of 'annual plants.' In distinguishing between annual plants and perennials, it's all a matter of the life cycle.

Picture of snow in summer.

A free landscaping plan showing how to plant a deer-resistant border. The free landscaping plan for deer-control details what these pest won't eat as well as what will look good.

If you're asking, 'Why are my azaleas not blooming?' be prepared to do a little research, because azaleas not blooming can be due to a number of problems, some of which I discuss here.

You can get rid of moles with mole traps or repellents. Havahart traps and Moletox repellent are 2 common brand names in pest control.

Landscaping picture of lupines, a natural, low-maintenance alternative to more labor-intensive landscapes. Photo presented to foster ideas for landscape design.

Often handymen who have just finished an asphalt paving job will have leftover material, and they'll offer to pave your driveway at a cheap price. Such asphalt paving is no bargain!

Alternatives to traditional lawns, including xeriscaping. The xeriscaping alternative to lawns focuses on saving water.

Review of Black & Decker 'Leaf Hog' leaf blowers, by your About.com Guide. These electric leaf blowers are multi-task lawn equipment, also serving as vacuums and mulchers.

Stone mulch offers durability, while hay and straw generally look better in gardens. Stone mulch is effective in landscaping with dogs.

Pictures of and landscaping advice on landscape shrubs. Discover the many varieties of landscape shrubs in your backyard, while imbibing landscaping advice on how to use them.

Hollyhocks are tall perennial plants effective for the back row of a plant bed. Some hollyhocks have flowers so dark as to be considered "black."

Garden pests include the mole and the vole, those subterranean, mouse-like garden pests. But what's the difference between a mole and a vole?